Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I really want to like this new Levi’s ad more than I do.
Firstly, Levi’s is one of the truly iconic brands that I’ve always admired. Over the years it has had some tough times. But Levi’s, in its selvedge denim weave, has always been Levi’s. Many, many years ago, I was working for at Saatchi in London and thought I would never leave when, serendipitously, a headhunter called to lure me away to work on the ‘dark side’, as a client. At that time I had no desire to do so, which in hindsight was the shortsightedness and hubris of youth. But, the wise headhunter (you know who you are ) spontaneously asked me to list the brands that I most admired. With no hesitation and little thought, I blurted out: Levi’s, NIKE, Apple and Coke. I ended up working for the last two and still admire the first two.
Secondly, I love it when brands look back into their heritage, find things that are authentically theirs and use them to push the brand forward and make them relevant in today’s culture. The eponymous Nigel Bogle of BBH called it “moving it on without moving it off.”
And thirdly, this pays homage to an ad that affected me both personally and professionally. Back in 1985, when I was an impressionable teen, after watching the original Levis “Launderette”, featuring the rather rakish Nick Kamen and set to the sound of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”by Marvin Gaye, my buying habits for jeans changed forever. Looking at my wardrobe now, Levi’s now occupies a disproportionate amount of rail space. Not only that, this ad changed my underwear choice as well. Goodbye tighty-whities. Hello boxers.
The epic series of ads for Levi’s: “Launderette” in 1985, “Parting” in 1987, “Refrigerator” in 1988, “Pick up” in 1989, “Creek” in 1994, and the list goes on, were all expertly crafted by BB London. This is a body of work that stands the test of time and I would put it up against almost any other brand in the last 40 years. It’s true these ads not only influenced my style, they also influenced my career. This work sat at the crossroads of creativity and commerce which became a place I wanted to call home.
But, here’s the but – pun painfully intended. Using the cultural tour-de-force of 32 time Grammy Award winner Beyonce is genius. Even more so when she recorded a track “Levi’s Jeans” with Post Malone on her recent genre breaking country album. Genius also because brands and musical artists are bedfellows such that they both need to continuously evolve in order to be remain successful. Think: Paul McCartney, Madonna, David Bowie and of course Beyonce, with her latest persona of Cowboy Carter. Enduring brands MUST strive for the same evolution.
So far so good. All of this makes for a perfect partnership except when you look at the new execution of an old ad and remind yourself who the target audience is. Beyonce’s cross-generational / cross-genre / cross-cultural bona fides are spot on. But using a British ad from 1986 as your frame of reference feels rather esoteric. Is this another example of marketers making communication for other – dare I say, older – marketers and losing sight of the real audience? The key to a brand’s longevity is to build mental and physical availability among all category buyers, regardless of age. Just ask Byron Sharp and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute.
Also the original ad, at its core, delivered a simple product message that inspired and justified the creative idea. Such that, the original shrink-to-fit jean was now available stonewashed. Yes, great advertising can inspire, entertain and deliver a rather prosaic product message when done well. The underlying message behind this new ad seems rather weak, if not nonexistent, apart from the obviously wonderful Beyonce looking obviously wonderful in her jeans. I guess Levi’s current line of “Live in Levis” could be put on just about anything and that’s either lazy, or genius. To be debated…
So, with all that said, and I’m sure some will disagree (which I’d like to hear), ultimately I salute Levi’s for this work. But it will be interesting to see if this campaign delivers the 800% sales uplift, where demand outstripped supply, that the original ad did. And no matter how good Beyonce looks, it is certainly not going to take me back to tighty-whities.
#Marketing #Brand Strategy #Creativity&CommerceCollide
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